The First Snow Fall
by starlitkoneko
Summary: It's their first winter together and Bakura wants to show a softer side, but it's not as easy as he thought.  Crappy summary.  Thiefshipping. One-shot inspired by a fanart on dA.


Bakura stood by the front door, tapping his foot impatiently and nudging the curtains that covered the nearby window. Tonight was supposed to be special, but that grudgingly loveable blonde was testing his patience.

"Are you ready yet?" the spirit called, trying to sound less angry than he was without masking the urgency in his voice.

"Keep your pants on, Bakura," Marik chided. He emerged from an adjacent room wearing a long-sleeved black top that mirrored the one his housemate had on. Violet mittens threatened to fall off his hands as he attempted to grip a matching scarf. His expression mirrored his exasperation. "Why do we even have to go out at this hour?"

Bakura sighed and stepped toward the teen. "I already told you, Marik. It's a surprise."

Marik pouted as the spirit took the scarf from him and draped it over his own shoulders, leaving his hands free to adjust Marik's mittens. The blonde observed the black gloves which covered each of Bakura's fingers snugly, allowing him to use his hands as he normally would. He made a fist with one mittened hand after his lover had fixed it and regretted having bought the set just 'because it was cute'.

Bakura tugged Marik's sleeve over his mitten then removed the scarf from his shoulders and swung it over Marik's head. A smirk crossed his lips as he used his new leverage to pull the boy closer and steal a quick kiss. Marik made a small noise of surprise or annoyance, either of which could be expected when Bakura did something spontaneously. The smirk was still there when he pulled away but a quick glance at the window had the spirit moving hastily again. He wrapped the scarf around Marik's neck once, tucked one end over and under in a loose knot, then gripped the teen's wrist and opened the door.

"Bakura, wait!" Marik called as he was nearly dragged out. "It's freezing out there! Shouldn't you cover up a bit more?"

Bakura grit his teeth as the wind played with his hair. "I'll be fine. We need to go."

Marik attempted to protest again but the spirit had no intention of listening. He cursed himself for thinking he'd given the blonde enough time to get ready, when he should have known by that point to always double his idea of 'enough time'.

Bakura dragged Marik for nearly two minutes before the white-haired male registered his name being called. He stopped in his tracks and allowed Marik to come to a stop beside him and catch his breath. Bakura observed the sight with contempt and let out a heavy sigh which took a cloudy form in the cold air of the night.

"Sorry."

Marik ceased his breathing and looked up at his boyfriend in surprise. In the time they'd been together, however short it was, he couldn't once remember having heard the spirit apologize. Bakura scoffed and cast his glance at the road ahead.

"Come on. We don't have much time."

Marik started to ask 'until what', but decided against it. Bakura wouldn't answer him, anyway.

The boys continued down the street with Bakura leading the way. Marik looked around as they walked, observing the way the buildings looked in the unfamiliar setting. Some of the houses they passed had lights on, but most of Domino's residents had retired to their beds. While they lay in heated homes with blankets offering additional warmth, Marik hugged his arms with mittened hands and clenched his teeth to keep them from chattering. At first, he'd been amused by the smoke-like clouds that materialized every time he exhaled, but that humour had worn off as his dark cheeks took on a pinkish hue.

"Bakura~" he whined, "how much farther do we have to go?"

Bakura growled and paused to control his temper. His senses picked up on a certain sharpness in the air but he took the time to turn around and touch a gloved hand to a cold, tanned cheek.

"We're almost there," the spirit assured with a forced smile. Marik seemed to know that it was fake but nodded slowly and accepted the gesture nonetheless. Bakura took his hand and continued.

They ventured from the part of town Marik had come to call home and crossed into an area with no unnatural lighting. Street lamps were present along their path, but they were all turned out and Marik's eyes hadn't yet adjusted enough to see them in the pale moonlight. Bakura, however, moved without hesitation, though his pace was significantly slower. As blurred figures in the distance became more recognizable to the ex-tomb keeper, he finally recognized where they were.

"We're in Domino Park?" the Egyptian observed, though not without some confusion. Bakura glanced at him but the gesture went unnoticed as Marik looked around, searching for something out of the ordinary. Bakura chuckled, earning him a stern glare from the other. "What's so funny, Bakura? Why are we _here_?"

"Why not?" Bakura retorted playfully. "Have you ever walked through the park at night?"

Marik made an exasperated noise in response. Bakura grinned.

"I'll take that as a no."

"This isn't funny, Bakura!" Marik whined. "This entire thing was a trick, wasn't it?"

Bakura gripped Marik's hand as he attempted to pull away and turned to face him, drawing the smaller boy close to subdue him. Such actions had become easier since Ryou's growth spurt had given the spirit the height advantage he needed over the sporadic blonde.

"It's not a trick," he said softly. "Remember, you _live_ here now. This weather happens every year so you'd do well to get used to it now."

Marik reluctantly held the other, desiring the warmth his body offered more than the meaningful contact. "That's still no reason to take me out in the middle of the night."

"You're right," Bakura lifted Marik's face and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "But this is."

Marik was about to question his lover when something small and white caught his eye. He left Bakura's embrace, holding him only by the hand once more, and looked to the sky. Bakura gave a coy smile and tucked his free hand into his pocket as he watched the object of his affection reach out to catch the strange flakes as they fell to the ground.

"This is…" Marik spoke absently, his eyes fixed on the world above. "…snow?"

Bakura chuckled. "Yes, Marik," he said affectionately. "By tomorrow, there may be a white blanket covering the ground… but I thought you'd want to see it this way first."

Marik offered Bakura a brief glance before gazing to the sky again, but the smile on his face said more than he ever could.


End file.
